Under Your Skin
by octo-spark
Summary: Sometimes being a doctor has its perks, especially when you can feel your life slipping away on your apartment floor. Idea I've been floating around in my head for a while; rated M for somewhat gore and language...careful you weak stomach folks, you!


_-Insert cliché disclaimer here-_

_This is an idea I've been messing around with for a long time…I'm not sure why exactly, but oh well!_

_Unfortunately, I had to do research for this topic… HOORAY FOR KNOWLEDGE! Sparkle, sparkle._

_I guess this would be considered taking place somewhere in season 3-4…Mainly because I wrote this all with the vision of Reid with long hair._

_Enjoy!_

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><p>It usually didn't take much effort when working in the BAU to loose focus. Between all the paperwork, phone calls, and cases that came and went like hyperactive visitors, it only took a few moments (sometimes seconds) to loose a simple thought into the clutter of the environment.<p>

This day was no exception.

Spencer Reid sat at his desk in the bull-pin, and the process had the same effect on him as everyone else. The paperwork seemed to come nonstop as his hand traveled from left to right in a blur. His eyes were bloodshot, indicating a ridiculously long day, the same as everyone else's. Not to mention, the place was dead quiet for the longest time, even though it was the middle of the day.

The only thing different about the day was the strange pain in his stomach.

Reid winced as he finished another file and placed it on the stack that seemed just a bit taller than everyone else's. His hand went to his stomach on instinct, scanning the room to make sure no one caught it _that time_ either.

This had been happening for about a week now. At first he would feel fine; a clear head and cool upkeep, and then suddenly the room would spike a few ten—or twenty—degrees and Reid could swear he had accidentally stabbed himself with his ballpoint pen.

Eventually the pain would subside again after a few moments, but the heavy sweat that beaded his forehead would remain until he whipped it off with his sleeve.

_I don't need anyone noticing this…_ He told himself. After finally getting it through everyone's heads that he was indeed one-hundred percent clean again, the team seeing him sweating in a perfectly air-conditioned room did not look too good.

Luckily, he ridded himself of the sweat on his face before Prentiss walked by with a cup of coffee in each hand.

"Here, Genius," she said while sitting the full mug carefully on his cluttered desk. "Looks like it might be a long day…"

He nodded his thanks and reached for another file, his other hand going for the hot drink.

Prentiss took a rather large sip of hers, a sigh escaping her lips as she leaned against her co-workers desk and watched him work. She noted how he wrote inhumanly, just about as fast as he read….

"You're already half-way finished?" Her eyes narrowed as she noted the stack of files and paperwork. Her pile wasn't nearly as large…but then again, she never had nearly that much paperwork.

Another mouthful of scorching caffeine, another small nod. "Today isn't nearly as bad as usual."

"Right." Prentiss agreed, watching as within moments another report was finished and the mug was emptied in almost record time. Reid got up and headed back to the coffee station, unaware of the eyes following him.

She studied him as several teaspoons full of sugar were emptied into the mug, making it more of a syrup than a beverage. It was not hard to notice how the young agent's hand shook slightly as he stirred his coffee, or how his brow trembled and mouth pulled into a tight frown. It wasn't from the caffeine, she knew. He had only had one cup that morning. From all the years of working with him, she was aware of his tolerance to all the sugar.

"Reid," He looked up at her, his face drawing back to the most normal of one he could master. It was getting more and more difficult to disguise his discomfort as another jab to his stomach almost brought him to his knees.

"Yeah?" he nearly stuttered, cursing himself silently for the slight crack to his voice.

Prentiss' face went from confusion to downright concern in just a few short seconds. "Are…Are you alright?" She sat her mug down on the counter, looking him directly in the face. Reid did his best to hold her gaze. He was very unsuccessful.

"I'm fine." He managed a slight chuckle as the pain finally began to taper down. "Wh-Why?"

He flinched slightly when a hand went to his forehead. Reid almost wanted to pull away, for there was no denying that she could feel the heat of his obvious fever seeping through her skin. And he had done such a good job of hiding it for the week….

"Reid. You're burning up." She exclaimed as her jaw dropped and she took a few steps back. "What are you doing here with a fever?"

Before Reid could mutter a contradiction, he heard heavy footfall. Both agents turned as Morgan passed, a newspaper in his hand and a look of absolute middle-of-the-week sickness.

"Who has a fever?" he asked, not looking up from his article.

"Reid." Prentiss nearly exclaimed, making Derek look up. An eyebrow quirked up at her shrill voice. "He's like a furnace here. Feel his face!"

With a stutter, Reid nearly jumped a few feet back. "No, no! Really, I'm fine!" He managed a small smile again, trying his best to reassure the two. Yet their faces did little to prove it had worked.

"She's right, kid. You are kinda pale." Reid opened his mouth to argue with the darker man, but…well, could think of nothing to say. He had noticed how pale he was every time he looked in the mirror or into something shiny.

No. He couldn't deny it.

"Maybe you should ask Hotch for the rest of the day off." Suggested Morgan, though he figured that idea didn't go over well when Reid sauntered back to his desk with his head hung low. The two other agents exchanged another nervous glance before following him back to the bullpen.

It didn't take long however, for Reid to stop suddenly and grasp his side. A sharp hiss almost echoed through the room. The jabbing at his side weren't so spaced out anymore, and this pain was almost twice as bad as the one from a few moments ago.

"Really, Reid." He felt a large hand on his shoulder as Morgan flung the newspaper onto his own desk. "You don't look good at all. Come on, I'll take you home and Prentiss'll talk to Hotch for ya."

Finally, Reid just nodded and let Morgan walk him towards the door. "Take care of the rest of my paperwork for me too, Prentiss?" he called over his shoulder.

Prentiss lowered her coffee cup from her lips, mid sip, and processed the almost foot tall pile of folders and papers on the youngest agents desk. She blinked rapidly before falling back into her chair, shooting an angry glare at the two who just left the room.

"Sure, no problem." she sighed, then finished off the rest of her coffee. This would be a long day…

It didn't take long for Reid and Morgan to arrive at the apartment complex. The ride there had been terribly quiet, with Morgan concentrating entirely on driving and Reid staring out the passenger window.

The only noises made over the fifteen-minute drive were the vehicle and Reid's random noises of pain. No matter how quiet he tried to be, however, Morgan heard every one of them. He counted somewhere over twenty times…

After pulling into a parking lot just outside of Spencer's building, Morgan put the car into park and turned to the younger agent before he had the chance to rush off.

"How you feeling?" he asked, face coated with concern.

Reid, a hand still clamped someplace next to his hipbone, shrugged and stared at the dashboard as he felt Morgan's gaze heavy on him. "Fine, I guess I just need some rest."

There was a heavy silence in the car for a while after his statement, so intimidating Reid could barely move…Finally, he heard the sound of squeaking upholstery as Morgan sat relaxed slightly in the drivers seat. "You think it could be your stomach?"

"Umm," blinking rapidly Reid looked up. "Yeah, I guess so."

Another beat of silence. "Then why are you holding your side?"

Confusion, something he wasn't so normally used to, swept over him like a wicked rainfall. He looked down and felt his own face sink as he saw his hand had drifted over to the main source of his pain. "Oh…" he sighed, and removed his hand entirely from himself and dropped it to his side on the seat.

Morgan's hand fell onto his shoulder again, and he was offered a calm and reassuring smile as Reid looked into his dark eyes. "Try and get some rest, okay, Pretty Boy?"

Reid nodded, attempting a smile himself.

"Call me if you need anything?"

"Yeah, I will." He said quietly, opening his side door. "Thanks, Morgan." And he got out of the car.

The two exchanged goodbyes with waves as the dark car pulled from the lot and headed back to the main road. It didn't take long for the pains in Reid's side to return again.

Well, actually, they never really _left_. Perhaps he was just getting very good at handling the agony. But this time was different. As he reached into his messenger bag to get his keys, he felt as if he had been kicked in the side with steel-toed boots.

He gasped as all the air left his body from the intense sting, and his keys fell to the ground. Coughing, he doubled over and both his hands flew back to push against where the hurt was most constant again. Thin tears filled his eyes, and his teeth clenched shut as he waited for it to pass.

It took all the willpower he had not to growl, scream, curse, or just downright cry after a few moments…all he could think was that he had to get inside. He couldn't let anyone see him outside bent over like an eighty-year-old man. Sure, he did have the sweater vests for it...but that wasn't the point!

Reid bent down as easily as he could, ignoring the screaming in his nerves as he did so, and picked up his keys again. The walk up the stairs and down the hall to his room was—just, absolutely torture. Sweat beaded his brow and forehead; a few neighbors who were outside actually stopped to ask him if he was alright, which he assured them he was as he did his best to hide the agony in his voice.

Finally he made it to his apartment, unlocked the door, and stumbled inside. If he weren't on the verge of passing out, he probably would have laughed at himself for mimicking some kind of alcoholic.

But laughing was the last thing on Spencer's mind as a tormenting thing happened: the pain multiplied again. Spencer finally let the scream rip from his mouth as he fell on all fours to the sparkling-clean kitchen floor. Whimpers began to vibrate in his throat as he clutched desperately at himself with his left hand, falling forward enough to where his head rested against the tiles of the floor.

It was…Oh, God. _Unbearable!_

For the past couple of days, Spencer had wondered what the hell was wrong with him. And now, as he yelped in pain and fell completely to the floor gasping and screaming in utter agony, he finally knew.

His appendix was about to burst…

Statistics, facts, and medical procedures drifted through his head at a million miles a second as thin sheet of sweat coated his entire body. He shut his eyes tightly, trying his best to endure and keep his thoughts straight at the same time. Reid remembered reading a periodical in college, and a few other places as well: after the appendix bursts, a person has ten minutes of survival. The infection would be too much for the body to take.

He calculated in his head as both hands gripped tightly through the skin at his enflamed organ. It took roughly half an hour to get to any hospitals, counting red lights and stop sighs, and traffic of course.

"Uh, shit…" he cursed under his breath. The muscles in his legs were twitching painfully at the torture, his breathing was becoming erratic…Damn it, he was dying.

There was no way an ambulance would make it in time to his apartment, and then get him back to the hospital for an appendicectomy. By then, the organ would have burst and bacteria would have spread to an alarming rate.

Reid would have shuddered from the thought, if he weren't already shaking terribly. He was panicked, sweating, and fucking _dying_! He had to do something, and fast! The thought of going through so much as an FBI agent, then dying on the floor from something as common as an enflamed appendix—well, that was irony for you.

Taking a few deep, ragged breaths, he mustered all the energy he could to sit up and get to his messenger bag that was still hastily draped across his shoulder and back. His phone was in there somewhere…

With shaky fingers, Reid found his phone and dialed the familiar numbers.

"Please pick up…" he pleaded as he collapsed back to his floor, near tears. "God, please pick up!"

* * *

><p>Morgan sped down the road towards the BAU once again, his hand smacking the steering wheel along with the beat on his radio. It did not take too long for his mind to clear of all thought of Reid, work, and all other things. Not long at all.<p>

He stopped at the third traffic signal on the road just up from the apartments, bass pounding loudly in his ears. Of course, it was always his instinct to check his phone whenever he came to a red light. Almost like a teenager with a new license, his mother had told him.

He did just that and grabbed up his phone from the passenger seat where he had thrown it after Spencer had gotten out of the car.

His mind drifted back to his coworker as soon as he saw the two missed calls. Morgan's eyes grew wide and he quickly turned off his radio before hitting the redial button.

He only heard the dial tone once before Reid answered. The tone of the young doctors voice made Morgan's heart nearly stop.

"Mor-Morgan…Finally."

Instinct kicked in, and Morgan swerved his car into the turning lane, through the red light (ignoring blaring horns from angry drivers) and slammed his foot on the gas instantly.

"Reid! What's wrong!" He noted how his voice was etched with worry, but honestly couldn't care less.

There was a pause before a pained stutter. "I, um, I think I'm in trouble…Morgan, I need your help."

"What happened?" Morgan begged. He was going nearly seventy now, well over the speed limit. "Kid, where ar—"

He was cut off by a bloodcurdling scream, and he heard the sound of something clattering against a hard floor. As his heart pounded loudly in his ears, he sped up again. From a small distance over the phone he heard a disturbing noise.

Was Reid sobbing?

"Please, Morgan _please_! Just hurry!" Reid's pain filled voice hit Morgan straight in the gut. He sped up a little more. "I-It hurts…Ugh, it h-hurts…"

"Just stay there, Reid!" Morgan coached him as calm as he could manage, but the fear in his voice was still obvious. He couldn't sound too upset right now, not with Reid like this…

"I'll be there in—in just a second! Just don't move, okay?"

He didn't hear an answer, only another whimper from a few feet away. When Morgan finally swerved into the apartments again, parked in the same spot as when he dropped the kid off, and jumped form the car without even bothering to get his keys, he still held the phone to his ear and raced to the floor of Reid's apartment.

As he jogged up the stairs, between redundant comments to try and coax any words from Reid, he couldn't stop from wondering what the hell had happened. From the sounds of pain on the other end of the line, Morgan half-expected to burst through the door to find Spencer lying in a pool of his own blood, shot through the stomach, or—

He shook the ideas from his head spastically. This wasn't helping!

When he finally made it outside of the apartment, he felt a bit of relief pass through him when he saw that the door was slightly cracked. Happy that he wouldn't need to kick it down today, he pushed it open slowly and stepped inside.

"Reid…?" he called into the room. It was almost too quiet; especially after all the commotion he had heard on the phone a moment ago. After a few steps into the apartment, Morgan heard the faintest of whimpers. It was so small, but he barely heard it!

He nearly dropped his phone as he ran forward form the small entryway to the genius' living room. Brown shoes and slacks assaulted his view and his breath hitched at the image of Reid's frail body strewn across the carpet.

"Reid!" Morgan lunged for the thinner man, dropping to his knees and reaching to turn him onto his back. "Reid, can you hear me?"

Reid was motionless at first, save a few twitches of his tightly closed eyes and slight jerks of his body. Finally, after a few gentle shakes by Morgan, hazel and dark eyes locked. He blinked rapidly before scrunching his eyes shut again of pure agony and Morgan heard one of the most strangled gasps leave the boys lips.

Morgan's other arm snaked under Reid's back to pull him closer; the sense of helplessness at hearing the pained sounds and feeling the shivering body beneath his fingertips was overwhelming.

"Morgan," Reid finally spoke. His voice was so choked. "I think…" One hand was clutched desperately at Morgan's t-shirt, the other on his side.

Morgan moved to take Reid's hand off his stomach, hoping that maybe there would be some sort of clue there towards the discomfort his friend was having. But when he saw nothing…something finally clicked:

"Your appendix…" he gasped, crestfallen.

"Ye-yeah, I think it's going to burst soon." Reid shifted uncomfortably in Morgan's grasp, small and broken. "The fever, the side-pains…it all makes sense now!"

Another agonizing groan and Reid's face was pressed into Morgan's clad stomach. A dark hand roamed into brown hair, stroking gently in the only form of comfort he knew to give at the moment. "I'm callin' you an ambulance," he finally announced.

"There's not enough time." Echoed a soft voice between quiet sobs.

Morgan's hand stopped stoking Reid's scalp, confused. "What?"

"I've already thought about this—"

"No surprise there," Morgan almost chuckled.

"The nearest hospital is about thirty minutes away, and after the appendix ruptures and the infection spreads…" The doctor's hand groped at said organ again, his eyes showing obvious pain, fear, and disappointment. "A person usually only has ten minutes."

Growling, Morgan grabbed for his phone that he dropped to the floor once he got his hands on Reid. "I don't care; we're gettin' you to a hospital!" His thumb was about to begin pounding in the three familiar numbers when a thin and shaking hand grabbed his wrist.

"Wait, Morgan," he swallowed hard. His mind was ablaze and cloudy at the same time. "B-before you call them, I need your help."

Morgan halted his efforts and looked to Reid with wide eyes.

"I—I need you to move me to the bookshelf." Reid whispered shyly. "I…don't really think I can walk right now." His face was red, though Morgan couldn't tell if it were from embarrassment, a terrible fever, or his pain. Perhaps it was a mixture of all three.

Morgan did not wait in wrapping his arms around the young doctor and carrying him bridal style to the other side of the room with ease. Reid's legs dangled almost lifelessly and his hands dug at his gut. With clenched teeth, he tried his best to keep his noises of pain to a minimum. Unfortunately, it was difficult; he could feel his appendix pulsing furiously beneath his skin.

Morgan sat him back against the bookcase gingerly. As soon as he hit the floor Reid reached towards a heavy book on the second shelf from the bottom. It landed with a thud on the floor beside Morgan's feet.

"What are you doing?" he asked, watching Reid's long fingers comb through the pages. He recognized it as a medical encyclopedia. In any other circumstance, Morgan would be teasing him for having something like that.

His question went unheeded. "I need you to get me a few things, too." The sound of papers turning finally stopped as Reid came upon a certain one, his finger quickly skimming down the page. He reread it a few more times and looked up to Morgan with pitiful hope in his eyes.

"Just tell me what you need," Morgan reassured him.

It wasn't long before he had his arms full of the supplies that Reid had previously named off. Something in the back of his head told him he was not going to like what the kid had planned, especially when he dug through the kitchen drawers for a special, certain knife.

No. He knew exactly what Reid was planning; he just couldn't believe it. Denial wasn't the factor, perhaps he was in just as much shock as Reid was right now.

Morgan set all the supplies on the floor next to Reid, who was still reading the several pages repeatedly. It was obvious he had already memorized all the text.

"Reid," he began with a sigh. All other instinct told him to keep his mouth shut and to let the kid take care of himself. But that just wasn't Derek Morgan, was it? And when those long, shaking fingers wrapped around the small surgical knife, he spoke up. "You can't do this."

Reid did not look up, nor blinked at Morgan's words. Only shuddered with pain as another wave of major distress passed over him. He eyed the silver knife in his hand. "I don't really have much of a choice, Morgan. Besides, self-surgeries have been performed successfully in the past…"

"Don't be insane!" Morgan nearly growled in retort, just as surprised as Reid was by the amount of venom in his words. "You need a doctor!"

"I _am _a doctor, Morgan!" Reid barked. Dark brows knit together in furry and agony, a strange yet appropriate mix. "I know what I'm doing, just—just…" he tapered off as his breath caught in his throat. The throbbing in his side was spreading now, an obvious sign that he was running out of time. It was like his clothes were on fire now, eating away at his shirt and licking at his stomach beneath and above the skin.

"Either help me get through this or just _leave_." Reid told him sadly as the burning tears finally began to fall much more thickly. They weren't from the pain this time, but from the utter feeling of helplessness.

Morgan sat dumbfounded at the sight. His heart jerked at the vision of Spencer's hands clutching the blade in one and his own pale, harrowing skin in the other. He chewed his lip at the unbearable idea of what he was allowing.

And of course, what he was about to do.

He reached back to the floor and grasped his phone, all the while ignoring his better judgment. He had already abandoned Reid once before during his time of need, and the entire team knew the outcome of that. Of course, it was as much fault as theirs as it was his, but his own reassurance was one of the last things on his mind at that point.

He was given an opportunity to redeem his mistake; granted it was twisted and most likely would end up rather bloody, but it was all he had.

Morgan eyed Reid through his lashes as he dialed the first two numbers. The doctor's face almost had a hint of betrayal, though vanished when Morgan's hand went up to wipe away tear-stricken cheeks with his calloused thumb.

"I'm not gonna leave you." He soothed. For a second, Reid's eyes dilated in surprise, then blinked rapidly as more tears fell. They were quickly rubbed away by a dark hand.

"If I call an ambulance now it should be here when we finish up."

He flashed a reassuring smile, which was returned by a shaky one. Reid's eyes closed tightly from the hurt and the knife slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor. Once empty, his other hand went to hug at his abdomen along with the other.

"Thank you," Reid barely muttered before throwing his head back against the bookshelf. It made a small _THUNK _and a few items clattered around them. "P-please hurry!" he begged as his breath hitched and fingernails dug through his cotton shirt and into his skin.

When he punched in the final number on his phone, other hand massaging Reid's twitching shoulder, Morgan made quick work of alerting the paramedics and giving them the proper address of the apartment. He was thankful that Hotch had made the team memorize one another's information.

After he hung up, he tossed the phone aside once again. He had brought a bottle of antiseptic as Reid instructed, and preceded to clean the first instrument they would be using with the clear bottle and a fresh paper towel.

"I've read the entire operation process fifteen times," he said while slowly un-tucking his shirt and pulling it up enough to expose his alabaster-like skin. "I hope it's enough."

"More than enough, kid." Morgan murmured. He noticed the furious blush that splashed across the young doctors face as he pushed his pants down a few inches, enough to show off the skin below his belly button and a fine patch of peach fuzz that trailed down into his boxers. They both knew that the few paper towels and tissues weren't going to be enough to stop the clean, white fabric from being splattered with crimson.

With tightly clenched fists, Morgan asked in a low voice what the two of them were both obviously thinking.

"You're going through with this without pain medication?" Spencer's hands stopped at adjusting his shirt immediately. Hazel irises grew wide in surprise before peering up at Morgan.

Reid managed a small nod, biting his lip as he felt Morgan's cold stare on him. "I…don't really have a choice, Morgan."

He barely caught the _fuck_ Morgan muttered under his breath. "It's not going to do you any good if you pass out from the pain!"

"I know, but—" he whipped at his eyes with his sleeve. "I can't take any chances!"

Morgan stared at him as his hard eyes finally softened. "Spencer, listen to me." His voice had such an edge of solemn to it, and by hearing his first name, Reid wasted no time in making eye contact with the older man. "If you still have any…If you didn't throw out any of the stuff, it might really hel—"

"No!" Reid protested instantly as his face grew pale. "I-I don't have anything! I got rid of it all a long time ago…"

What Morgan felt from the kids words was a mixture of pride and disappointment: he wanted to hug Reid for kicking the addiction, but then again the desolation he felt at knowing his coworker was going to feel every cut and tug almost brought tears to his eyes.

"I can handle this, Morgan. I promise." Reid muttered. It sounded as if he was trying to convince himself as much as Morgan.

A small smile tugged at Morgan's lips before he whipped another stray tear that made it's way down the kids pale face. "Yeah, I know you can." His hand then reached for the bottle of antiseptic and a clean dishrag. "Let's get going."

Reid's clean skin was soon wetted down with the cloth by Morgan's calm fingers. Afterwards, Reid calculated where the first, and absolutely most important, cut would have to be made. In the book, it explained that the appendix was directly three inches to the right of the belly button and above the hipbone. He really wished he asked Morgan to grab a ruler.

"Okay, here goes…" he gulped down the lump in his throat and blinked away the few tears still blurring his vision. Carefully, Reid moved the blade close to his skin, wishing he had a medical pen to mark where he would be cutting. It would make things so much easier.

The silver tip caught the delicate skin and plunged inside with ease as a light pressure was added. Morgan watched in silence with the most uncomfortable of expressions; he paled as a pearl of blood gushed from the tiny cut and onto the surface before trickling down Reid's skin and was soaked up by the elastic of his underwear.

Morgan clenched his teeth at the sound of discomfort that arose from Reid's throat. What he would give to let the kid have just one free pass to take his mind off the pain…ibuprofen, Advil, something. Anything, really.

But both the men knew there was no chance in that happening. As Spencer withdrew the now bloody knife, his mind was drumming with need for that well known-needle again. Sure, it would knock him unconscious, but the idea of not feeling…Right now when he could feel himself slipping, ever so slowly, with the surgical blade in his hand shook, it sounded so inviting.

Instantly, Morgan caught the cloudy look in Spencer's eyes.

"Reid…" he began, lifting his head slightly with his hand. The skin was so pale, too pale. "C'mon kid; stay with me." Before the blade could clatter to the floor again, Morgan slipped it from Reid's hand and into his own.

The idea of slicing Reid open wasn't something he was too fond of, but it was their only option.

"I'm gonna need you to tell me what to do kid. You're shaking too much…" he almost whispered, trying his best to comfort his coworker. He could only really remember his voice being this soothing with his mother and sisters. "Just try to stay awake, alright Pretty Boy?"

A nod was the only answer he received; regardless, Morgan slid the book Reid had been reading towards him. It was just a precaution, but the look on the kids face made him sure it would soon be a necessity.

The cotton shirt had already fallen back down onto Reid's torso before he could continue making the cut. Morgan took a deep breath before pushing it back up and over Reid's chest, leaving a trail of smeared blood up his stomach as he gasped.

"Hold still, okay?" he warned and pushed the knife back into the opened wound. The pain must have brought Reid back to his full senses, for his head snapped up and nearly hit the bookshelf again. His eyes squeezed shut as a loud groan passed from his lips.

"M-Morgan!" he cried. It was almost as excruciating as the enflamed appendix; he swore he could hear his skin ripping as the blade went deeper and sliced a longer red mark.

Blood now gushed down Reid's side, staining the plush carpet as long fingers gripped at its fibers desperately. He tried his best to stay still, so not to disrupt Morgan's work or cause himself any more physical harm. It was getting more difficult.

"Shh, almost, Spencer," Morgan applied a bit more pressure to the blade, sending another shudder through the body beneath him.

Based on what he read, he finally managed to make the cut deep and long enough to get to the offending organ. Using a clean tissue he mopped up the blood that covered Reid's side. It had already gotten all over his pants and a few droplets had rolled passed the junction of his hipbone and down into this boxers. He wouldn't be able to clean that up…

"Alright," he announced. It was only step one, but he was so relieved to have it over with. Looking up and into Spencer's face, he wanted to kick his own ass. The agony was so much worse than it had been when he first found the young man on the floor. His eyes were still closed tightly, mouth open in something of a constant scream, and his skin had yet to regain colour. Now it almost seemed transparent.

However, Reid's hand managed to work its way to Morgan's. "You need to hold it open," he gasped. His voice was so quiet Morgan could barely hear it. "The cut. I'll do everything else."

The pale hands went to take the blood stained instrument from Morgan, but was surprised when it was pushed aside. Morgan took the trembling digits in his own and placed Reid's hand to the left side of the huge gash.

"No, you keep your hand right here, kid." His mind drifted on the horrific amount of blood that he just noticed was on the carpet and tissues. The thought that it was all Spencer's blood made his mouth go completely dry and he had to fight down nausea.

Crime scenes didn't seem to get to him as badly as what was taking place in front of him, and some of those people were disemboweled or beheaded!

"I'm gonna open this wound a little now, okay?" he said as softly as he could. Reid took the hint and held tight to his own flesh as Morgan pinched the other side and drew it open ever so lightly, causing the cut to split open. More blood pushed its way out as the two hands managed to dilate the cut enough for Morgan to see the inside of the dark muscle tissue.

Strangely, the pain wasn't nearly as bad as Reid thought it would be at this point. Sure, the cut being opened up and feeling his skin rip apart a bit more at the ends was sickening. He assumed it was from the panicking he had done a moment ago; endorphins had already begun to spread as the flood of anguish let up.

"You need to use the tweezers." Reid told Morgan as he cleaned up the fresh spout of blood.

Morgan nodded and grabbed the item from the mat he had laid out beside Reid. He made quick work at disinfecting them, noticing how much sharper they looked compared to other ones he had worked with in the past. Sure, they were for medical purposes, but they looked like they could have done the job of slicing Reid open as easily as the knife had.

Thinking that, Morgan stared at the nasty laceration upon once flawless skin. It hurt knowing it had been done at his hands, despite Reid's instructions.

"Morgan?"

"I'm so sorry, Reid." He said, shaking his head. The two exchanged looks; Reid was utterly confused.

"Don't be," he licked his lips. "I—I made you do this, it's all my fault."

"No," Dark eyebrows pulled together as Morgan nearly growled in the back of his throat. "You're not making me do anything, kid. You were right; you wouldn't have made it if we relied on an ambulance."

Reid blinked rapidly, ignoring the agony that was welling up in his stomach again. He shook like a leaf, and Morgan's hand found his knee. He stroked it reassuringly for a moment before taking proper hold of the tweezers again.

"What do I need to do now?" he asked.

"Umm—" Reid had to collect his thoughts. The tears streaking his vision now weren't form the discomfort. He just prayed Morgan didn't realize that. "Y-you have the book, right?"

"Yeah," Morgan replied as he turned his attention to it. Reid's other hand that wasn't holding the cut tapped the small picture at the bottom of the page. Morgan felt his stomach tighten at the red fingerprints left behind.

"This should show you where the appendix is from here. Just pay close attention to this, but I'll direct you as best as I can…" his voice broke slightly at the end of the sentence. The high that had pushed back the pain was beginning to wear off.

Morgan did his best to focus on the book, following the disturbingly detailed pictures and measurements. He wondered to himself if Reid had ever anticipated something like this happening one day, since the book was clearly giving instructions to an untrained surgeon.

But then again, he wouldn't be surprised if Reid had precautionary items like this scattered all throughout the place. Either way, he was thankful for it.

After studying the pages for a few more moments, he took the tweezers firmly in his hands and gently worked them into the cut. Reid tensed and sucked in a generous amount of air, but other than that remained silent.

He was having a difficult time maneuvering them inside the wound, and was having just as much trouble seeing from all the blood. It would have made things easier to have something to suck up the blood besides towels. A vacuum, maybe?

He discarded the thought as Reid pulled the cut apart more, as if reading his thoughts. There was a horrid sound of torn flesh as he yanked maybe too hard. He cried out in a way that made Morgan want to withdraw the tools completely.

But he couldn't stop now. He swabbed up the blood as fast and as carefully as he possibly could with nearly panicked hands. Now that the cut was bigger and more dilated he could plainly see what he and Reid had done so much work for.

A tiny tube-shaped sack with a few blood vessels anchoring it down barely peeked from beneath his hand. The two breathed a sigh of relief at seeing they had made the proper measurements. If Morgan didn't know that the thing would kill Reid if it weren't removed, he knew he would be much more happy to lay eyes on the blood-soaked organ.

But…

The little bastard was right beneath the sharp edges of the tweezers! Morgan had to admit, it didn't look anything like he had thought an enflamed appendix would. Terrible imagination and the way Reid writhed in his arms before had him convinced the thing would be pulsing so loud he could hear it as soon as the skin was opened.

Jesus, he thought the thing would have it's own heartbeat!

Reid could sure feel something like another heartbeat. It was to the point where every breath was like a huge throb in his gut that extended throughout his entire body. As the desire for painkillers grew worse, he eagerly tried to distract himself. He reached his free hand forward to grab at Morgan's elbow, insinuating for the older man to continue.

"You need to cut the blood veins," He felt Morgan's arm tense at the words. "The one's connected to it."

Morgan's nostrils flared in what Reid couldn't make out as rage or contemplation; though it didn't take him long to slice at the several vessels that held the organ in place. They began to furiously spout blood so badly Morgan nearly lost his "weapon of choice."

Before he could panic, Reid took a few small items in his hand and motioned for Morgan to take them. They were little surgical clips used to close a cut vessel during an operation.

Again, he wondered where the hell Reid got these things. But, then again, he _was _a doctor…Three PhD's had to have its privileges.

He clipped them onto the severed blood vessels, which halted in their spouting almost immediately. He prayed his hands weren't contaminated enough to cause any infecting when he had them so deep in the wound. Even though he washed them while getting the supplies, he did not want to take any chances.

The blood was cleaned again and Morgan was then free to try to cut the thing away from what he hoped was Reid's large intestine.

Oh, God. His _large intestine_!

Morgan felt his stomach turn flips and blood run cold. After all that had happened this was the first time he actually felt queasy to the point of having to sit back and try to catch his breath.

Reid was much in the same boat, but noticed right away that he wasn't being prodded at on the inside anymore. Lashes batted against flushed cheeks as he tried to clear up his glassy vision.

"Morgan…A-are you…?" He stopped when Morgan shook his head slowly.

"I'm fine, Pretty Boy. Just give me a minute."

Reid waited, his lips pressed tightly together in anxiety. His hand was already growing numb from holding open the cut for so long, and his fingernails had most likely left little, red, crescent moons against what would soon be a horrid scar.

Finally, Morgan sat back up on his knees and went back to work on cutting the two organs apart. It didn't take nearly as long as he anticipated, but for Reid it felt like hours before Morgan made that final slice that separated them.

"Ugh…" he moaned at the sound of and sensation of his insides being rearranged. Morgan offered a few tranquil words to steady the young doctor, but focused his mind on removing the appendix before it was too late. He didn't want to think about all their work being for nothing…

After a few more cuts, the two of them heard a snap, and Morgan very cautiously took hold of the bundle of useless tissue with the sharp points and slid it from the bloody cavern. He didn't wait to toss the damn thing onto the mat, where it landed with a quiet _spllt._

Reid's change at its removal was obvious: his breathing suddenly slowed, he squirmed a bit (which Morgan thought was good after not seeing him do that since he first cut him open) and he was managing to keep his eyes open for longer than a few seconds at a time.

"Reid?" Morgan called as he placed a bloody hand against Reid's shaky arm. "Stay still; I gotta sew you up now."

"R-right," he stuttered in response. Now that the discomfort of his appendix was gone, his mind drifted to the droplets of blood that were running down his side and staining his clothes.

The needle was threaded with the wire-like string and Reid could suddenly feel the sharp point piercing him on the inside again. He gritted his teeth painfully tight as Morgan pulled the thread in and out of the thin walls of his intestine. He didn't think he would be this grateful that he hadn't had an appetite in a while and had skipped his meals that day.

The cut was finally sewed up and the bloody tweezers were used again to cut off the remaining thread. Reid hissed as he felt the cold silver on his insides, to which Morgan apologized before reaching for the clasps that suspended the blood flow.

Morgan was nothing close to a doctor, and the idea of letting Reid bleed to death really didn't sit right with him. "Are you sure I should take these off?"

He was given a puzzled look in reply; it was almost as if Reid was saying, "Really?" Instead, he managed a shaky laugh, "Yeah, it's fine."

"I don't want you bleeding to death one me, kid…"

"It's fine, Morgan. They'll heal up on their own. Trust me, I'm—"

Morgan held up a hand. "Please don't say it."

Another light giggle, "Right, sorry." He gasped suddenly when he felt Morgan's fingers gripping at the clips inside him. As soon as they were removed the blood spat forth again, coating Morgan's hand even more in the kid's blood. To that point though, Morgan didn't even bat an eye.

He made quick work of sewing up the largest cut. The black thread looked so out of place against Reid's white skin. He wanted to trace his thumb over the newly-restored cut, but knew it would only make Reid feel worse.

After placing the needle and thread back on the mat he looked to Reid: "I think we got it." Reid responded with a small smile before letting his full weight fall against the bookshelf, totally spent. All he wanted to do now was close his eyes and sleep until the ambulance got there as the aftershock of the surgery gnawed at his thoughts.

Unfortunately, he wasn't going to get to do that any time soon. If they didn't apply pressure to the severed veins, then Morgan's fears would be realized and the internal bleeding would get to him before the paramedics arrived.

"The gauze." Reid murmured weakly as he motioned to the roll with his chin. He hoped Morgan would understand what he was indicating; explaining the why's and how's of everything just wasn't his cup of tea at the moment.

Morgan took the gauze in his hand and unrolled it like lightening. Reid assumed Morgan knew what he was doing when he felt large hands gently pulling him into a sitting position. He barely suppressed a yelp when it was pulled tightly around his abdomen.

"Sorry," Morgan offered a soft pat to Reid's arm before pulling at the bandages again, wrapping them so they were tight enough to do the job yet not be too intolerable.

Three more rounds of gauze around the thin tummy and Morgan stuck the safety pin in place with caring hands. He didn't want to give Reid any more unnecessary scars.

The excess cloth was snipped away and tossed aside and Morgan pulled the younger man against his chest. Reid was already out of it as Morgan scooted against the wall, basically dragging the other man with him.

Reid groaned as he rested his full weight against the bigger man; he shivered as he was wrapped in strong arms and a stubble covered chin aggravated his scalp.

"I'm so proud of you, Reid." Morgan breathed in relief.

"Mmm…" he groaned back. Reid shivered terribly and Morgan's arms constricted him more. "I'm cold."

Morgan frowned at the words. "You lost a lot of blood…" His hand rubbed the slender back in hopes of maybe offering some warmth.

There was no response after that. In total silence Morgan held Reid tightly as he drifted off into unconsciousness, jerking every few moments and drawing himself in closer to the older agent.

They barely moved at all until Morgan heard the howling of paramedic sirens closing in. He looked to the clock on the wall; it had taken them almost fifteen minutes for the ambulance to come within earshot of the apartments.

A grin worked its way onto his face before he nestled his cheek back into the curly, brown locks.

* * *

><p>"We're getting him a blood transfusion now." A male paramedic informed Morgan as he shut the door to the ambulance. "Luckily, he didn't loose enough blood to do any damage; just knock him out."<p>

Morgan's crimson covered hands flexed in his pockets in anticipation. "And there's no permanent damage at all?"

"Nothing physical, at least." the man replied. "But I'll admit: that was one hell of a dumb thing to do…"

"But it saved his life." Morgan nodded. His shoulders slumped in an obvious sign of relief. The paramedic mimicked his action.

"Yeah, it sure did."

The air was silent until the man motioned to Morgan's filthy shirt. "You might want to get changed up."

Morgan shot him a look of confusion before peering down at his own clothes, then chuckled. He looked like he had just murdered someone. "Right. I'll do that, man. When will I be able to see him?"

The man gave a small smile. "Shouldn't be longer than the trip back to the hospital."

"Good. Thanks." Morgan sighed, relieved.

With a nod, the aid walked towards the passenger side of the vehicle, got inside, and Morgan watched as it pulled from the dark asphalt and onto the main road. The siren was no longer on and the only sounds around them were the bustling traffic surrounding him.

He waited until the well-known car disappeared from view before heading back to his own. As he eyed the blood spattered all over his hands and clothes, he couldn't help but crack another smirk.

He had quite literally just gotten under the doctors skin. After all the teasing he gave the kid over the years, it was finally on a disturbing level of realism.

As Morgan got into his car and prepared himself for the long stay he would have at the hospital with Reid that night, he thought to himself:

_Tomorrow is gonna damn sure be interesting…_

* * *

><p>Omigosh you guys this is so much longer than I anticipated!...<p>

_I feel like I can never keep these guys in character…Ah well. Better with time, I suppose._

_Major thanks to my friends, who proofed this (and the one who gave me major advice on surgery procedures) and all that…_

_Don't forget to review~_


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